WITH the cyclo-cross season in full swing, riders from Coventry-based Team Enable continue to produce impressive results.
A number of Team Enable-MI Racing-Townsend Vehicle Hire riders headed to Moorways Sports Village in Derby for round one of the Cyclo-cross National Trophy series.
Competing against other top riders from around the United Kingdom, Team Enable’s Nick Whitley secured a fine third-place finish in the men’s 50 to 59-year-old race with teammate Darren Atkins fourth and Nick Popham 14th.
And in the men’s 60-plus age race, Coventry-based Pete Busby finished 14th with Mark Garrett 25th.
Current Welsh junior cross country mountain bike champion Layla Bradbrook competed in the junior race and finished 16th.
Elsewhere, rounds four and five of the West Midlands Cyclo-cross League took place in Redditch and Fillongley respectively.
Kenilworth-based Darren Atkins and Popham finished second and third respectively in the veteran 50 to 59-years-old race.
In the same race, Christian Morgan placed 13th with Andy Jackson 45th and Alan Buxcey 58th. And in the veteran 60-plus race, Mark Garrett finished ninth.
In the combined junior, senior and veteran 40-plus race, Jefferson Tear-Verwei finished fourth in the junior event with Warwick-based rider Thomas Bradley 16th in the senior race.
Round five saw an excellent head-to-head battle between Team Enable riders Atkins and Whitley.
Atkins eventually took the race win ahead of Whitley with Morgan 15th, Jackson 44th and Buxcey 61st.
In the veteran 60-plus race, Garrett finished fifth with Lynsey Whitley fourth in the women’s 40 to 49-years-old race.
And in the men’s junior race, Tear-Verweij finished an impressive third with Colin Miller fourth in the veteran 40 to 49-years-old race and Bradley 18th in the senior race.
Staying in the Midlands, round two of the Leicestershire Cyclo-cross League took place at Misterton Hall near Lutterworth.
Popham finished fourth in the veteran 50 to 59-years-old race with Busby also an excellent second in the veteran 60-plus race.
And teammates Richard Perham and Raymond Cochrane finished 52nd and 62nd respectively.
Further North, sisters Layla and Holly Bradbrook rode in the women’s under-23 race in the North West Cyclo-cross League at Beacon Country Park near Skelmersdale.
Layla produced a strong ride to finish third with Holly just behind in fifth place.
Elsewhere, Team Enable’s riders enjoyed a successful end to the time trial season competing in the Cardiff 100 Miles Road Cycling Club event.
Team Enable’s Luke Allen rode to victory over the 10-mile course, winning the road bike category in a time of 21 minutes and 41 seconds, to place 10th overall.
Leamington-based Mark Wise finished an equal 10th place, riding a time trial bike, while Nuneaton-based Simon Law placed 12th in 21 mins 44 secs.
The combined times of Allen, Wise and Law earned the Team Enable trio the fastest team title.
Teammates, Mark Wills and Jackson also made the trip to South Wales and finished 21st and 29th respectively.
This past weekend, Team Enable presented the Steve Knight Memorial Race during round six of the West Midlands Cyclo-cross League, hosted by Dynamic Rides Cycling Club.
Knight was a member of the team for almost 30 years before he died suddenly in September 2023.
Widely-regarded as one of the best British cyclo-cross riders of his generation, Knight also inspired many budding cyclists to take up the sport.
